Process for heat sealing



1953 c. G. BENNETT PROCESS FOR HEAT-SEALING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1950 INVENTOR. CL54IZENC5 G. BENNETT ATTOENEY Oct. 20,1953 c. e. BENNETT PROCESS FOR HEAT-SEALING 4 Filed Feb. 28, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

CLARENCE 6. BENNETT BY 5 5 1414M.

ATTORNE Y 0. 20, 1953 c. G. BENNETT. 2,655,776

PROCESS FOR HEAT-SEALING Filed Feb. 28, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. CLARENCE 6. BENNETT [qua ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED ATEN'T ()FFICE Clarence-Gw-Bennett; San MatewCalif assignor to Cs --G-. .B.-Gompany, a corporation of California s pnestieierebruars 2s, lesdse-rial No. 146,889

A 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates: to 'a "machine' forplacing .2; band a'r'oun'd anarticle .such .as a bunch of-celerm'a number of string: beans} carrots 5 and the like.- Whilethe invention'will'beparticularly described as" it has been successfully: applied" to the bandingf celery and the like; itis not limited in utility. to only this ap'plication and many" other uses-- and modifications readily suggest themselves to those ve-rse'd ain' the :art:

It is 'iri gerierazl the broad objectof the 'present invention-to provide a novel process for placing a band arou-r'id an assemble'd group? of articles.

The inver'ition"includes -other objects and features ior 'aadvantage, some of whit-1; together with the foregoing, will appear hereinafter wherein the present preferred embodiment of this-inventioii i-sidescr ibedi In the' drawings accompanying and forming aara hereof;

Figure T 1 -is'- ap lan'view=of a completemachine for" per form-ing: theprocess ofthis invention.

Figure I 2 is a side-view of the complete mac'hine; portions being broken to shorten r the devi'ee t'o' perm-it of convenient showing.

Figure .3 -is a section taken along the line -3#-=3 in Figime' 1;

Figure '4 1 is wa top View of' the machine-"showing -thep'aper advancingwheels, the cutter; and the heater utilizedto conditionthe paper for a heat-seal joint inathe band.

Figure 5 r is anew-0r the .drivemechanism-with the-nrank'shown zin its rear position, the dotted line paitsashowings the position when the lcrarik is in its forwardposition;

Eigure sfi is =2; side leiev'ationashowing; the position-of the cutter mechanism just prior to a ciittiii'g" o'peratioii'l Referringto the drawings, the machineincludes a frame structure generally indicated at l l and pio'vidiriga suitable elevation'for the several elements comprising the machine; mounted the-frame are apair of forwardly extendii'ig I! having agen'eraiily horizontal table 13 secured thereto andupon which an article such as a} bunch of --celery isplaced for band- 'ing, as will presently be described. The -table" includes a pluralitycf transverse grooves M which are utilized to drain" water from" the article to'b'e banded-and away" from ano'pfer'ator. Mounted adjacent to one side of the table is astoji lfifj utilized'to'engage th'e "butt eiidfo'fthe cierv' or other article'tob'e bandedi' the" stop is secured adjustably in position by bolts 18 inserted in a selected set of holes I9 in the table I3.

Mountedc'ooperatively adjacent to the table l3ris a mechanism, generally designated-at, for feeding a predetermined length of aheatsea'ling' band'of' material for wrapping about the article assembled-0n the table 133 The'su-pply of such paper is provided by'a roll 25* carried upon asupporting':wheelcstructurezgenerallyfindicateid at 24- (Figure-3) this includes I a first rend member 22- having a hub "23 thereon 1 secured :by a" set screw 24 to ashaft-26v- A bearine-Zfl provided in side wall 2 8 of the two side walls-2B and 2-9 provided upon-the machine to support the shaft for rotation. Another end member 31 is provided on shaftifito' retaiI'i the-rollflziiih place. The strip "of heat-sealingpaper .ccm'prismg the roll- 25 wound upon-a wood or paper oore"or hub 3:2* and=includes arecess 33 there'm toareceive a tongue 34" provide'dupori theifii'st end member 22:. Theother end mem b cludes a plurality 10fteeth 3irthereoii 1 gagethe core-32 and secure it -tb the endm'cmber. The notch andntooth engagement" with the first end --member- 22" and the tooth engagement with thesecond" choi -member 31' retain" the roll 25' on the 1shaft;'the end of shaft z fiwbeing threaded .as at 31'am'd a nut- .38 being: used-"to compressthe hub 3-2abetween the two endmrembers.

Theaband ofmateriu 1 extends forwardly from the roll iover aflat-guide plat 41d ahd between a-lowfer knurled fee'der roller- 41' and an upper knurled feeder roller-42 tli'e latter being carried upon a shaft" 43 mounted on frame A!- which ispressed by springs"- fi t'o hold *the roller fl in engagement" with the roller 41 Means are provided" for ensuring: that only 'a predetermmed length of mbandis fed forwaridlv. This means includes a lover arm-A B -mounted en one--endof -.shaft" I92, the Shaftcarrying a first arm 4' 1, :aageai 148 2and-a2 second 49 at its other end (Figure =59 A second gear 491s carmed minim 2'41 engagement 'wit h gear-1s; the armflfl being-thee on-ithe' 'shafti W9 is socured {on thesmarter-1a:carriesaaooth Slfith'efbh eing eiiteiide'd simple and positivejg --b1it a n3'r other drive lizedto rotate the'paper ma aria fed a a Tereathe'paper; a" foot pedal 1 I ismo'iirite'd upon the frame as at 12 and biased toward a raised position by a spring 13. A cable 14 extends from the foot pedal ll about a guide pulley 16 to operating lever 96. Attached to the operating lever is a spring I! biasing the lever toward the retracted position in which it is shown in Figure 2. Also mounted upon the lever is an actuating rod 18 extending through a brake operating arm 79, the rod having nuts 8! thereon which engage the brake actuating arm and bring brake band 82 thereon into engagement with wheel 83 secured to shaft 26 by a key 84 (Figure 3).

The movement of the arm 96 is also effective to cut off a length of the band of paper. Thus, the mechanism includes an upper cutter plate 9: mounted in a closely spaced relation to a second cutter plate 92, the band of material passing between the two plates from oi the guide plate 49. at 94 on one side of the machine and is biased by a spring 95 toward a retracted position. A lever 97 is pivoted at 98 on the other side of the machine, one end of the lever being engaged with the movable cutter 93 while the other end is engaged with an extension 99 on a lever I01 which is secured on shaft I02 and which shaft is rocked with the lever arm .6; a spring I03 biasesthe lever Isl toward a retracted position.

The tooth 50 is provided radially about shaft I02. The radial distance through which the tooth moves before it engages gear 49 provides a lost motion connection enabling the clockwise rotation of shaft I02 through a distance sufiicient to permit extension 99 to move lever 9! to actuate the cutter or knife 93 upon the release of pedal H and under the pull of springs 96 and 77.

Means are provided for enabling an operator to efiect a junction of the band ends; in the form shown in the drawing, this means includes an electrical heater, this being maintained at a suitable temperature, as is Well-known in the art, and including a top plate H0 mounted between the side plates 28 and 29 and over which the ends of the material are drawn and positioned so the paper ends can be heated and joined.

In use, the operation includes first depressing the pedal H, a predetermined length of the material being fed forward, tooth 50 on arm 49 engaging a space between adjacent teeth in gear 49 to lock this against rotation whereby the further movement of arm 49 is efiective to rotate gears 55, 55 and 53 and turn the knurled feeder roller 4| and advance the paper band until brake band 82 holds Wheel 93 and the roll 25 against rotation. The band of paper is then extended across the table I3. '80 long as the operator retains the pedal ll depressed, the cutter mechanism is not operated. The operator, still holding the pedal depressed, places the article to be banded upon the projected band on table l3, the article being in suitable position of alignment with its end against the stop IS. The operator then winds the band around the article, pulling against the fixed roll to ensure a tight fit of the band on the roll. This is of advantage in banding celery and loose articles such as string beans and the like, for it enables these to be bunched and banded as a tight bunch. By this time, the operator has approached the heating plate and, simultaneously with the severance, the band ends are brought into momentary engagement upon the heating plate whereby the overlapping ends of the band are joined in their overlapping portions. The operator then releases the pedal H,

A cutter knife 98 is hinged as whereupon the band is severed. The banded article is then removed, whereupon the operator depresses the pedal H to advance a fresh strip of the band into position.

From the foregoing, I believe it will be apparent that I have provided a relatively novel and simple form of band mechanism which can be utilized to place a band effectively about a group of assembled articles such as string beans, celery, asparagus, and the like. The inclusion of the brake mechanism ensures release of only a predetermined and a desired band length whereby economy in use of the band is secured; the length of the band released is readily adjusted by changing the position of nuts 8! on the rod 19. The width of the heating plate I I0 is also changed to fit the band width and to avoid burning of the vegetables.

It is to be noted that the paper band is in contact With the heater H0 from the instant when the projected length first comes to rest thereon and until the band is severed; thus, during the entire banding operation, the heat sealing material is being heated so that when the two band ends are engaged, one end is fully conditioned for sealing and the operator does not have to wait on the heater or for one band to be heated. The heater surface can be provided with parallel grooves, as is known in the art, to localize heating of the band. By pre-heating the lower band, scorching or burning of the vegetables is eliminated, as is accidental application of the heat sealing material to the vegetables, While the overall banding operation is facilitated and speeded up.

I claim:

A methodof applying a heat-sealing tape about an article comprising pulling a length of tape from a roll of heat-sealing tape, said length being at least sulficient to band the article, heating a portion only of said tape, said heated portion being immediately adjacent a position where it is ultimately desired to sever the tape and remote from the terminal end of the tape, to condition said portion only of said tape for sealing, placing an article on the unheated terminal end of said tape and rolling the article along said tape length to apply the tape snugly to the article until the terminal end overlies the portion of the tape which has been conditioned for sealing, pressing the terminal end of the tape onto the portion of the tape which has been conditioned for sealing and immediately severing said portion of tape from the remainder of the roll and removing the banded article from the heated zone.

CLARENCE G. BENNETT.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,573,669 Bolingbroke Feb. 16, 1926 1,719,405 Townsend H July 2. 1929 1,925,509 Staud Sept. 3, 1933 2,008,271 Zeigler July 16, 1935 2,034,747 Collins Mar. 24. 1936 2,043,829 Grant June 9. 1936 2,049,759 Blasser et al Aug. 4, 1936 2,362,437 Galkin Nov. 7, 1944 2,365,605 'Sutter Dec. 19, 1944 2,485,865 Costello Oct. 25, 1949 2,586,580 Truscott Feb. 19 1952 

